I watched lots of horror movies which I really enjoyed but I didn't find them particularly scary, except one, "The Fly" by David Cronenberg. It was so horrible that I couldn't sleep the whole night and so disgusting that I could hardly eat anything the next day.

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Just gonna stand there and watch me burn. Well that's alright because I like the way it hurts.

Probably because I watched it at the theatrical premiere in Oslo, Norway, while I was very young and impressionable (15), but also because I smoked a good deal of pot at the time, John Carpenter's "Halloween" scared me profoundly. The next thing that made me really jump was "Hellraiser". That didn't even make any sense -- as far as realism goes (whereas the homicidal lunatic from "Halloween" could actually happen in real life, right around where you live, although it's unlikely) -- but the sadism and inhumane characters from wherever the fuck they came from kept me mesmerized much like the gaze of a snake is supposed to do. Only this time it wasn't fear, it was attraction. I felt kinship with the fuckers.

In recent times the only horror movies that have impressed me was, respectively, "Ringu" (The Ring) and Saw. Saw was fucking awesome, man. Perhaps mostly because I didn't really see how any "horror" type of movie could surprise me any more. Nowadays I mostly watch twisted cineographic types of displays, such as "Black Kiss", for their aesthetic value, like a pungent scent of ripe roses in a warm afternoon breeze. I havent felt fear for many years. I kind of miss it.

"Cure" by Kiyoshi Kurosawa is real masterpiece of uncomfortable dread. It's the last movie, and only movie I've seen as an adult, that has really scared me. Event Horizon also did it for me when I was a kid.

Nosferatu and Psycho were both frightening for their times but pop culture may have diluted them to the point they're not even considered horror anymore. Still I would love to see their effects on an untainted viewer who watches them alone in the dark. Alien is also quickly losing its raw horror to cultural familiarity, but again should scare the shit out of anyone who doesn't know what's coming.

Darabont's "The Mist" isn't the scariest horror movie but it may be the most effective and traumatic to watch in recent history, I'd put it on par with Audition.

Why not? We have a whole movie section for the purpose of talking about movies.

As for my answer, I'm not going to fudge this question by saying "Well it's a matter of opinion", blah blah blah. I do however believe that to truly give a good scare, you have to connect with the viewer on some personal, subjective level. That's when it's most effective. I've watched some horror movies that truly gave me a great scare while it didn't do a thing for other people, and vice-versa. For example, I saw Texas Chainsaw Massacre as a kid and wasn't really phased. Ditto for The Hills Have Eyes. But seeing Poltergeist in the theaters sure scared the crap out of me.

"We are superior, and are superior not by ethnic means, but by the superior force of the will -- the imagination, the creativity, and the very essence of resourcefulness, and survival, that is the heart and the very soul of the Satanist."~Anton LaVey

I agree with Delta on the potential of Alien. When I first saw it I was creeped out.

Another movie that really gave me chills when I first saw it was Fire in the Sky. Not the kind of "oh shit I just jumped" scared, but the "Looking around to see if there are any ali-OH GOD A SHADOW!" scared.

A more recent film that had the same effect on me, albeit on a less intense level, was The Fourth Kind.

Guess what I'm afraid of.

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"Logic is the beginning of wisdom, Valeris; not the end." --Leonard Nimoy as Captain Spock in The Undiscovered Country

"May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house." --George Carlin, Playin' With Your Head

"[There is] no contradiction between saying 'evolution has no purpose' and 'organisms have purposes'; just different vocabularies for different levels of description." --Sean Carroll

I do however believe that to truly give a good scare, you have to connect with the viewer on some personal, subjective level. That's when it's most effective.

I agree. There are probably a good bunch but the most recent one that connected with me was The Strangers. Its premise has precedent, reminded me specifically of the Keddie Murders but any home invasion would be terrifying. The "conversation" at the door, the sounds of something coming, and one tiny "don't blink or you'll miss it" moment when a muscle/chord in Liv Tyler's neck jumped. It was such a small detail but I knew exactly how it felt and just imagining that alone was enough to pump pure uncut ice cold adrenaline straight to my heart, make every single hair stand on end, put my ears back, suck the air out of my lungs and bug my eyes out, all in an instant. Oh I was scared, really truly scared, scared like I haven't been since I was 7 years old staring at an open closet door all night long.

It was awesome.

_________________________"What happens in the shadow, in the grey regions, also interests us – all that is elusive and fugitive, all that can be said in those beautiful half tones, or in whispers, in deep shade." ~ The Brothers Quay

I agree with that. When I was around 9 I first saw “The Legend of Boggy Creek” and for a while afterwards I was a little paranoid about home-invasion-by-Sasquatch. There’s something fundamentally frightening about something just walking up out of nowhere and reaching into the window to grab you.

One thing that made that film scary for me at that time was the fact that it was supposedly based on a “true story” and it had a blatant documentary style and folksiness about it that made it seem less like a movie and more real. Combine this with culturally well known reports of “real” Bigfoot encounters and the film does its job well.

Boggy Creek helped pioneer the now familiar docudrama style of filmmaking and supposedly was one of the inspirations for the completely un-scary “The Blair Witch Project”.

Edit: I really love the movie poster. I think it really captures the laid back eeriness of the film.

And then there was the movie too fearsome for me to even continue watching. Kill Bill 2. Weird? I suffer just enough from claustrophobia to be unable to bear watching the particular torment the Bride endures in the first portion of the film.

When I was 16 my dad asked me to go see "The Exorcist" with him. I didn't even know what an exorcist was but I went anyway. When it first started my first thought was, "Oh great, a foreign movie" but the second it jumped to the scene in Georgetown I got a creepy feeling that something bad was going to happen.

I look back on it now and chuckle but at the time it scared the crap out of me and every time I hear "Tubular Bells" I still get the chills. In general our house is an "all horror movies are cool" kind of place with a few exceptions, of course. "The Exorcist" is one of those exceptions.

The Descent had some scenes that scared the bejeebers out of me. I am extremely claustrophobic. And the scene where the girl got stuck? Scheisse!!! When I watch it now, I know the scene is coming up and close my eyes. I would have lost my mind in the same situation. IF, that is, anyone could have talked me into going into a freakin' hole in the ground to begin with. Which is very doubtful.

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"Churches may close and old shepherds may die, but the herd will always be the herd." Reverend Bill

I remember reading that during one of the first showings of “Alien”, in reaction to the chest buster scene, two women fainted and one usher vomited. That’s how you know you have an iconic classic.

I took a couple of girls to the theatre to see the first Alien. When we came out, BOTH of my biceps had bloody fingernail holles in them.

In another vein; a young (possibly 11 or 12 years old) kid told us the movie would scare the crap out of us when "the thing comes out of his chest." I told the kid,"It won't scare me because I have figured something out that you haven't.""What's that?""That thing can't get off the screen." He still screamed when the scene in question came around.

Since most (if not all) intelligent people realize the creature can't come off the screen, I think the psychological type horror films are the ones that scare people the most. The fact that it could REALLY happen.

I did find Shutter Island a bit disturbing for just that reason.

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"Churches may close and old shepherds may die, but the herd will always be the herd." Reverend Bill

"We are superior, and are superior not by ethnic means, but by the superior force of the will -- the imagination, the creativity, and the very essence of resourcefulness, and survival, that is the heart and the very soul of the Satanist."~Anton LaVey

The Descent had some scenes that scared the bejeebers out of me. I am extremely claustrophobic. And the scene where the girl got stuck? Scheisse!!! When I watch it now, I know the scene is coming up and close my eyes. I would have lost my mind in the same situation. IF, that is, anyone could have talked me into going into a freakin' hole in the ground to begin with. Which is very doubtful.

The Descent is amazing. It has this unique atmosphere although the ending could be a bit more optimistic. The caves are quite frightening. I think the film is an allegory of the descent into the unconscious inhabited by some of our dangerous, underdeveloped and wild instincts. However, it is only my opinion.

The French movie "Humains" is a bit similar about the tourists finding themselves in a mysterious abyss/gully where they meet prehistoric creatures.

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Just gonna stand there and watch me burn. Well that's alright because I like the way it hurts.

The Descent is amazing. It has this unique atmosphere although the ending could be a bit more optimistic. The caves are quite frightening. I think the film is an allegory of the descent into the unconscious inhabited by some of our dangerous, underdeveloped and wild instincts. However, it is only my opinion.

I think that is a decent assertion. However, I also feel that an ending which was any more optimistic would have slighted the very meaning of the film as you perceieved it. They drove the point home like a nail in the head; not only that this woman's descent into primal madness became a reality, but it is also heavily alluded that this very same thing happened long before she ever got there, and that it is likely to happen again.

As far as comments about the creatures not being as creepy as one would have liked, I felt that they were creepy because they were not "creatures" at all. They were human beings who he had been trapped long, and who had degraded into that state. Or at the very least, they were some off shoot of human that managed to survive the rest of civilization. I thought they were well done, and they were exactly what I wanted to see in "I Am Legend" rather than the horrid cg abominations they relied so heavily upon; which completely ravaged that movie for me by the third act, and which I will probably never watch again because of it.

As far as comments about the creatures not being as creepy as one would have liked, I felt that they were creepy because they were not "creatures" at all. They were human beings who he had been trapped long, and who had degraded into that state. Or at the very least, they were some off shoot of human that managed to survive the rest of civilization. I thought they were well done, and they were exactly what I wanted to see in "I Am Legend" rather than the horrid cg abominations they relied so heavily upon; which completely ravaged that movie for me by the third act, and which I will probably never watch again because of it.

Yes, you are right.

Funny thing is I got the two mixed up in my memory. I Am Legend was indeed very disappointing. Well, we have MIB 3D to look forward to.

No, I am not shitting you.

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"Logic is the beginning of wisdom, Valeris; not the end." --Leonard Nimoy as Captain Spock in The Undiscovered Country

"May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house." --George Carlin, Playin' With Your Head

"[There is] no contradiction between saying 'evolution has no purpose' and 'organisms have purposes'; just different vocabularies for different levels of description." --Sean Carroll

Ze french fries really really reeeeeeeeeeeeally know how to do scary-unnerving horror! A few of my favorites: Them, Frontier(s), Inside, High Tension. I haven't seen Irreversible but will now.

And [in no particular order] France also gave the world the Awesomeness that is Jean Pierre Jeunet (City of Lost Children, Micmacs, Delicatessen, Alien 4 and Amelie), Jean Cocteau, Jean Reno and Catherine Deneuve.

Vive le France!

_________________________"What happens in the shadow, in the grey regions, also interests us – all that is elusive and fugitive, all that can be said in those beautiful half tones, or in whispers, in deep shade." ~ The Brothers Quay

The Amityville Horror (1979) successfully freaked me out when I first watched it. Few movies have scared me but The Amityville Horror stuck with me for a long time after I first watched it.

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ï¿½Love is one of the most intense feelings felt by man; another is hate. Forcing yourself to feel indiscriminate love is very unnatural. If you try to love everyone you only lessen your feelings for those who deserve your love. Repressed hatred can lead to many physical and emotional aliments. By learning to release your hatred towards those who deserve it, you cleanse yourself of these malignant emotions and need not take your pent-up hatred out on your loved ones.ï¿½ Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible

Another movie that made me sick was Uwe Boll's Seed. The beginning of the film features actual footage of sever animal abuse and torture, which, if I recall correctly, wes provided by PETA. I had to turn the film off that first time. The second time I watched it, I fast forwarded past the animal torture. uwe Boll is regarded as a failure of a director, and I agree. There is one part of Seed, however, that I enjoyed, and involved a hammer.

Cannibal Holocaust is another movie I despise because of the deaths of actual animals in the film, which was done to give the movie more "realism".

I do not condone any movie that actually kills animals on camera. They are ugly, despicable, and are in all around bad taste. But that is just my opinion.

OoooOOOOoooo, no I haven't seen that one! Looks great (in that religious-psycho-disturbing kind of way) -- I've just added it to my "to watch" pile.

Thanks!

_________________________"What happens in the shadow, in the grey regions, also interests us – all that is elusive and fugitive, all that can be said in those beautiful half tones, or in whispers, in deep shade." ~ The Brothers Quay

Other than that, I agree with you. Worth mentioning by Jeunet is also the awesome WW1 period-film "A Very Long Engagement" - unfairly criticized (in my opinion) because it had Audrey Tatou cast in another "Amelie" like role.

Another memorable/recommended movie which uses some tricks of the trade from the horror genre but which can't properly be called "horror" is Lars von Trier's "Antichrist". To the extent that it can be typified, I'd say it's a psychological drama -- but it kind of defies description, containing some of the most beautiful as well as some of the most horrific imagery imaginable.

Huuuwhoops! Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I wouldn't want to offend the french fries.

Open question to all who mentioned it: Has anyone seen Descent 2? I can't really decide if I liked it or if I just like listening to Shauna Macdonald.

Some folks have mentioned not being able to watch movie parts that tickle their phobias. There are definitely some movies I can only sit through once because of extreme discomfort. They are more an act of endurance than entertainment (although I am glad I saw them unlike some other regrettables).

Philosophy of a Knife and Deadgirl (the 2008 horror film not the other one) are two Intensely Disturbing, stain-your-skin types that immediately come to mind. First is incredible, the second not so much but I'm still glad I saw it.

_________________________"What happens in the shadow, in the grey regions, also interests us – all that is elusive and fugitive, all that can be said in those beautiful half tones, or in whispers, in deep shade." ~ The Brothers Quay

Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Exorcist gave me the creeps. The first one doesn't after repeated viewings but is still a great flim; the latter is one of the best horror movies in the world.

I thought The Human Centipede was boring and assuming to the point of being offensive. It had too much production for such a campy B-movie idea, and took all the fun away because of that. Kind of like if Marlon Brando starred in Evil Dead. There is probably something better out there if you want to see the second coming of Joseph Mengele.

Atmosphere is definitely everything when it comes to horror. Ominous sense of doom, unhinged villains... and main characters who are sympathetic enough to the viewer for one to want them to survive, instead of cheering at a ghastly demise that was brought about by idiotic decisions.

Kind of like if Marlon Brando starred in Evil Dead. There is probably something better out there if you want to see the second coming of Joseph Mengele.

Brando in Evil Dead? That would be AWESOME.

If you do want the second coming of Mengele, I recommend The Boys From Brazil whish stars Gregory peck as Mengele himself. A film called Shockwaves has also just made my to-do list. In fact, I think I'll go watch it right now...

I don't find horror movies scary, in fact some are amusing. Wishmaster was hilarious. Some girl wished to be beautitful forever, so the djinn turned her into a mannequin.

But one movie was scary, The Cell. There were a lot of jumpy parts and there was a particularly creepy part where she's in hell and the devil is doing some experiment on her and humming a strange tune. I've had to watch it alone because others refuse to watch it at night.

Edited by ConquerOrPerish (01/08/1106:37 AM)

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High hopes faint on a warm hearth stone, she travels the fastest who travels alone.

Another movie that made me sick was Uwe Boll's Seed. The beginning of the film features actual footage of sever animal abuse and torture, which, if I recall correctly, wes provided by PETA. I had to turn the film off that first time. The second time I watched it, I fast forwarded past the animal torture. uwe Boll is regarded as a failure of a director, and I agree. There is one part of Seed, however, that I enjoyed, and involved a hammer.

Cannibal Holocaust is another movie I despise because of the deaths of actual animals in the film, which was done to give the movie more "realism".

I do not condone any movie that actually kills animals on camera. They are ugly, despicable, and are in all around bad taste. But that is just my opinion.

But that is your posted opinion. I enjoy horror. I like movies that make no excuses for upsetting the viewer. Horror, when done right is not about "in good taste" or walking on eggshells but is focused on causing repugnance and fear! You stated that you agree with critics in calling Uwe Boll a failure. Did he not serve you up a dish of repugnance and so much so that you turned of your set? That is not failing and is in fact a tribute to his success at what he does. As upsetting as that opening scene is it also helps relate the viewer with Seed's sociopathic origin.

Horror should cause the viewer to dislike and abhor the feature in front of them. Very few horror films are able to do this and the ones that do are the ones that people talk about the most. Take A Serbian Film for example or Salo. The subject matter is unthinkable and it can be said that one is better for never viewing but if you look up the definition for horror then you will have to agree that this is what it is all about. It is after all only a movie.

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ï¿½Love is one of the most intense feelings felt by man; another is hate. Forcing yourself to feel indiscriminate love is very unnatural. If you try to love everyone you only lessen your feelings for those who deserve your love. Repressed hatred can lead to many physical and emotional aliments. By learning to release your hatred towards those who deserve it, you cleanse yourself of these malignant emotions and need not take your pent-up hatred out on your loved ones.ï¿½ Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible

I enjoy horror. Horror, when done right [...] is focused on causing repugnance and fear!

This is what a lot of folks don't get about horror mavens, this here that looks like such a contradiction. Enjoy repugnance? Seek it out? Call it entertainment? But I do. Happily.

However, I seem to be developing limits. Which surprises me. Lots of stuff out there I wish I could un-see. I used to gorehound this stuff up, I'd watch it all, wouldn't even bat an eyelash at the rape-snuff torture porn that Serbian promises. More and more though, I don't. Rather watch Addams Family or Monster Kid fare. I'm not sure if I ever enjoyed the likes of Cannibal Holocaust (etc) or if I was just testing my endurance in some way. Nowadays this stuff doesn't scare me so much as it depresses me. It better suits the definition of exploitation than horror. I'm sure that where that line is, and when it's been crossed, is different for each person.

I still like to be scared. I remember, as a kid, struggling so hard to defend my affection for horror movies. No, I'm not a sociopath, no I'm not sick (in any sense of the word), no I'm not otherwise-fucked-up. Trying to explain the thrill, the catharsis, the joy was so often painfully pointless. They just didn't get it.

Truth be told, I'm not sure I always get it either. It's a kind of ritual I constantly indulge in, something I proudly never "grew out of", something I truly enjoy despite the contrariness of loving something you kinda loathe. I like what Wes Craven said:

"It`s like boot camp for the psyche. In real life, human beings are packaged in the flimsiest of packages, threatened by real and sometimes horrifying dangers, events like Columbine. But the narrative form puts these fears into a manageable series of events. It gives us a way of thinking rationally about our fears."

_________________________"What happens in the shadow, in the grey regions, also interests us – all that is elusive and fugitive, all that can be said in those beautiful half tones, or in whispers, in deep shade." ~ The Brothers Quay

I've heard that rumor as well. Poltergeist was a real treat when it came to interesting old school FX. Not just the makeup from the scene pictured (and maggot meat) but cloud tanks, animatroics, matte paintings, cel animation, miniatures, it's a whole lot of fun.

A tale from Poltergeist you won't find in modern cinema for a few reasons:

Back when films were filmed on film, you didn't know exactly what you'd shot until it was developed and printed. To be sure they got all the footage necessary before scrapping the sets and moving on, they'd print "Dailies" or cheaply made test prints which the producers would gather to watch after shooting each day.

The dailies are also important for second unit work, as the director would not often oversee things like exterior plates and establishing shots. The Visual FX people also relied heavily on the dailies because it would be the first time they saw how the lighting appeared on their models or how a slow motion shot looked in slow motion.

The story goes that when the visual effects crew finished shooting the (Spoilers) miniature demolition of the house (They basically wired and sucked it into a small hole) they reviewed their footage and then had the dailies editor cut it into the stock footage for plain exterior shots. The producers and director went into the screening room after a long day of work and watched the common house footage and then in the middle of an otherwise normal shot, the house was sucked into a demonic vortex.

I wrote a paper for a horror film class that applied ritual theories to horror films. It was a class open to all non-film students, and the assignment was to view the topic through your own field of study. Makes for some interesting papers - I wish I could have read some of them.

My thesis was that horror films are small rites of inversion, wherein we expose ourselves to fears and indulge in the uncanny exactly so that when we return to "normal" life we are reassured of our safety. It reaffirms our general well-being and place in the world. It is not the content of the film that is the climax, but instead the re-submergence into our mundane routine.

My thesis was that horror films are small rites of inversion, wherein we expose ourselves to fears and indulge in the uncanny exactly so that when we return to "normal" life we are reassured of our safety.

I'd give a left arm to read your paper! This is lighting up my cawfee-addled brain like a Christmas tree this morning.

Originally Posted By: Zaftig

It is not the content of the film that is the climax, but instead the re-submergence into our mundane routine.

Yes. This.

I think I had a vague understanding of part of this but have never been able to pinpoint, to put in thoughts or words, this one ginormous detail -- that the click comes not during but after, when worlds collide. I knew/know something is going on, I can feel it, that post-movie-watching daze when wheels turn and things are being processed on some level. It's similar to the quasi-mourning, lost feeling I get after finishing a good book. I can never immediately start in on something new. Have to digest.

_________________________"What happens in the shadow, in the grey regions, also interests us – all that is elusive and fugitive, all that can be said in those beautiful half tones, or in whispers, in deep shade." ~ The Brothers Quay

It's so nice to hear that someone remembers Legend of Hell House and Let's Scare Jessica to Death (I hated it when the mole was killed) besides me. They were two of my favourites as a child and I still have a VHS copy of Hell House somewhere.

I watched The Human Centipede. I enjoyed it but I wouldn't list it as a great movie. Worth the watch though but I am easily amused. :-b

When I was in college, I had a pretty eclectic course load including Children's Literature and Horror Literature. I was astounded to discover that the two actually overlapped. In Children's Literature we covered fairy tales, REAL fairy tales, not the whitewashed cartoons that Disney pumps out. They were creepy because fairy tales weren't happy stories to tell your kids at bedtime. They were stories intended to scare the crap out of kids so that they would behave. Those are some horror movies that I would like to see made.

In Horror Literature we discussed many reasons for why we like such books and movies such (as noted by Zaftig) reinforces our belief in our own safety, a belief in god, allows us to live out perverse fantasies in a safe environment and my personal favourite, they enable us to feel superior in ourselves. How many of us haven't watched a horror movies and railed at the characters for being stupid and not escaping when they had a chance? In the end we come away saying "that could never happen to me, let's go have coffee and pie."

_________________________For my sins I will ask no forgiveness. For my sins they are not to forgive.

I first discovered The Legend of Hellhouse about 15 years ago. From that moment on, it has been among my favorite films of any genre. There are not many movies that are successful at developing and maintaining such a dark feel.

Another classic I enjoy is The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism. This is a must for fans of Christopher Lee and Hammer Films.

I understand and where modern movie makers do fail in my opinion is being able to combine the gore with the dread. Most supply ample amounts of one more so than the other. This can get tiresome and in most cases causes me to seek a good comedy or action film rather the same ol same ol. For example - I liked Train more than I did Midnight Meat Train because Train delivered the dread and the gore where MMT was a gorefest with a waiting but simple twist. To each their own though and it is hard to beat a film like Martyrs.

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ï¿½Love is one of the most intense feelings felt by man; another is hate. Forcing yourself to feel indiscriminate love is very unnatural. If you try to love everyone you only lessen your feelings for those who deserve your love. Repressed hatred can lead to many physical and emotional aliments. By learning to release your hatred towards those who deserve it, you cleanse yourself of these malignant emotions and need not take your pent-up hatred out on your loved ones.ï¿½ Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible

I would agree with you, Tier Instinct, as I love films that have both gore and dread, too. I'm often left feeling disappointed when, after all the psychological buildup, the viewer doesn't get to see anything gory or truly sickening; it leaves me feeling deflated. On the other hand, I quite enjoy gorefests, but almost on a comedy level as they're usually so very daft and often badly acted. Not true of all gorefest films, but certainly some.

In fact, just the other day, I watched a movie (that is available for free on the inmoo site) called "The Tripper" - which titles itself comedy but has all the trappings of slasher horror (and a quite amusing "Ronald Reagan" as the villain).

I must admit, I like the inadvertant comedy prevalent in horror, much to the general disgust of other cinema-goers, but I also love horror-comedy. A couple of my favourites are Brain Dead and Bad Taste.

I saw Basket Case a few years ago at a grindhouse night at a local arts cinema, the whole audience, myself included, was howling with laughter!:D

I think that real horror-comedy must be extremely difficult to create, juggling the contrasts. My favourite in this genre is Love At First Bite. Whilst adhering more-or-less faithfully to the legend of the vampire’s powers and limitations, it puts the Count in the 20th century. Expelled from his Transylvanian castle by a female commissar, he and his servant Renfield travel to New York, where he is attracted to an eccentric model, whose boyfriend is the descendant of van Helsing.

Please don’t read the Wikipedia item before you see the film, otherwise it will spoil that wonderful ending.

My favorite all time horror-comedy is Roger Corman's “The Little Shop of Horrors” (1960) It’s a wonderfully silly and dark film and since it is in the public domain now, you can watch the entire thing right here:

Fun movie pick. For horror comedy, my pick is the Feast Trilogy. Henry Rollins is always good for a laugh or two.

_________________________
ï¿½Love is one of the most intense feelings felt by man; another is hate. Forcing yourself to feel indiscriminate love is very unnatural. If you try to love everyone you only lessen your feelings for those who deserve your love. Repressed hatred can lead to many physical and emotional aliments. By learning to release your hatred towards those who deserve it, you cleanse yourself of these malignant emotions and need not take your pent-up hatred out on your loved ones.ï¿½ Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible

Somehow I was unaware of these Feast films. I did see a couple of the episodes of “Project Greenlight” where they began making the first film, but I never realized that anything good (especially that good) came of it. Based on what little I had seen of the series, I assumed that the movie was going to be horrible, if it was completed at all.

_________________________
ï¿½Love is one of the most intense feelings felt by man; another is hate. Forcing yourself to feel indiscriminate love is very unnatural. If you try to love everyone you only lessen your feelings for those who deserve your love. Repressed hatred can lead to many physical and emotional aliments. By learning to release your hatred towards those who deserve it, you cleanse yourself of these malignant emotions and need not take your pent-up hatred out on your loved ones.ï¿½ Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible

I apologize for barging into the thread to ask a favor, but I have a question for anyone who can answer: On Sci-Fi Channel back in the 90's they aired a commercial for Dark Shadows or Tales from the Dark Side or Night Gallery in which a woman served a kid dinner and he refuses to eat it. She asks "What's the matter, you don't like meat?" and he replies, "No I just don't like the things on it" and we see the plate is covered in maggots. I can't find this quote online nor any reference to the scene. Does anyone know what show or episode that's from? This has been bothering me for about 15 years now.

I think most of my favorites have been listed. Anymore, it just doesn't seem that film makers can conceive of anything truly original and spine chilling.... although I keep my necro fingers crossed.

Among those that stand out in my mind are:The ExorcistPoltergeistSomething Wicked This Way Comes (maybe it's the boyhood memory I have of it and watching now may be different, but I recall this Ray Bradbury adaptation as giving me shivers)Texas Chainsaw Massacre II

Classic films like Nosferatu, Freaks, and Faust (am I thinking of the correct film with the devils drumming away with the eerie music accompaniment?) are somehow just inherently creepy.

More recent films that I think have come close to prompting that night light being on for purposes other than late night bathroom finding:The RingSaw

I've only seen it once but Let's Scare Jessica To Death is one of my all time favorites.

Chris

A fine choice!

There is so much to that movie that the only way to do it justice is to suggest to people that they watch it for themselves. I found the water/swimming scene particularly chilling.

As for 'scary', I'll echo the sentiments of some before me. I don't really get scared at movies, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate a good spooky flick (it's my favorite genre).

I tend to go for movies that are strange and psychologically unsettling over those with axe wielding maniacs.

One of my favorites, though, is an odd combination of both. Before Francis Ford Coppola was a household name, he wrote and directed Dementia 13. It's a really strange flick, part mystery, part psycho plot and part axe wielding menace. Maybe not technically the best thing ever committed to celluloid, but it worked for me.

To the thread, I'll submit a short representative list of what *I* like:

From The Innocents:What shall I sing to my lord from my window? What shall I sing for my lord will not stay? What shall I sing for my lord will not listen? Where shall I go when my lord is away? Whom shall I love when the moon is arisen? Gone is my lord and the grave is his prison. What shall I say when my lord comes a calling? What shall I say when he knocks on my door? What shall I say when his feet enter softly? Leaving the marks of his grave on my floor. Enter my lord. Come from your prison. Come from your grave, for the moon is a risen. Enter, my lord.

I like your list. I think you, Prophet and I should get together for movie night.

Dementia 13 struck some kind of chord for me too. I couldn't tell you what or why exactly -- Luana Anders, creepy music, Luana Anders, haunted castles, and did I mention Luana Anders -- but I can't count how many times I've "been in the mood" to watch just this movie. It's some kind of Something. It's a Something I'd file in the Atmosphere folder but wouldn't have a clue how to define.

I think most, if not all, of the movies you've listed are atmosphere-strong and that's the secret ingredient that lodges these stories under the skin.

"Atmosphere is the all-important thing, for the final criterion of authenticity is not the dovetailing of a plot but the creation of a given sensation." ~ Lovecraft

P.S. If anything can overshadow the carbuncle that is David Caruso it is Danvers. And I guess Session 9 has become a historical document now.

_________________________"What happens in the shadow, in the grey regions, also interests us – all that is elusive and fugitive, all that can be said in those beautiful half tones, or in whispers, in deep shade." ~ The Brothers Quay

Me, me! I have an extremely yummy recipe for maple-spiced kettle corn filed away. Or whatever. I may be so hopped up on sugar and caffeine that my eyeballs twitch and I can't feel my legs but I consider stuffing my face with butter-drenched popcorn and slurping down a super-duper extra large cherry slurpee to just be proper horror movie watching protocol.

Anyway, I sized you as having similar movie tastes awhile back after I really enjoyed The Night Flier (which I seriously only got because you mentioned it here somewhere). I've added Legend of Boggy Creek to the queue, too -- been on kind of a 70's/early 80's kick lately. Most recent being The Silent Scream with Barbara Steele. A lady who may very well be atmosphere personified.

Originally Posted By: Prophet

Is that from “Supernatural Horror in Literature”?

It is! Suspect you've already read it but it's available online for anyone else who's interested.

_________________________"What happens in the shadow, in the grey regions, also interests us – all that is elusive and fugitive, all that can be said in those beautiful half tones, or in whispers, in deep shade." ~ The Brothers Quay

Most recent being The Silent Scream with Barbara Steele. A lady who may very well be atmosphere personified.

Hiya!

Congrats on your upgrade WitchShade!

I was going to comment to your post before this one and suggest that we add The Silent Scream to the movie night que (great minds, or at least similar ones ). It's a little past season but Margot Kidder in Black Christmas circa 1974 would be a good one too. That voice on the phone... very creepy.

Also, I'd probably have to list Exorcist III: Legion as the best and most under appreciated title in The Exorcist collective. Watch that one in the dark, WITH headphones, as there's a LOT of subtle sound running underneath the screen action. There should be a notice on the box that one of the main characters in the film is the sound. The ending is way corny for my taste but Brad Dourif is excellent as is George C. Scott (as Kinderman). Highly recommended!

More later duty calls.

Oh, for something new and yet completely watchable don't miss House of the Devil. The plot's been done but it excels in both creepy and atmospheric. Tom Noonan is brilliant in this one.

I may be so hopped up on sugar and caffeine that my eyeballs twitch and I can't feel my legs but I consider stuffing my face with butter-drenched popcorn and slurping down a super-duper extra large cherry slurpee to just be proper horror movie watching protocol.

Yes! In regards to the slurpee, you should know that I consider myself a huge fan of those types of frozen/slush-based beverages.

Originally Posted By: Shade

Anyway, I sized you as having similar movie tastes awhile back after I really enjoyed The Night Flier (which I seriously only got because you mentioned it here somewhere).

I’m glad that you liked that. I remember suggesting it in a thread about vampire movies here at one point, but I honestly didn’t think that anyone was paying attention. I think it is a very enjoyable and underrated film.

I should warn you that my comments about how scary I found Boggy Creek, should be taken in the context that I was nine when I first saw it. Compared to many horror films today, I’m sure that there are many things that people will find a very corny about it. However, that’s not to say that there’s nothing that you might find enjoyable about it. In some ways it was somewhat groundbreaking at the time that it was made and it started several long lasting b-movie trends. It’s definitely considered a cult classic.

I don’t know if you’re familiar with “The Town that Dreaded Sundown”, a film inspired by the real-life Texarkana Moonlight Murders. If you’ve seen it, it has a similar atmospheric feel to “The Legend of Boggy Creek” and both films were directed by the same person.

I should warn you that my comments about how scary I found Boggy Creek, should be taken in the context that I was nine when I first saw it.

Hello John Prophet, long time no... type

I saw Boggy Creek when I was a lad too. It caused me many moments of sheer terror whenever I had to walk through the woods by myself. I'm not sure how it has stood the test of time... haven't watched it in a long time.

Originally Posted By: John Prophet

I don’t know if you’re familiar with “The Town that Dreaded Sundown”, a film inspired by the real-life Texarkana Moonlight Murders.

Love that one too. More recently I watched The Strangers and was immediately reminded of the baghead in The Town that Dreaded Sundown. Of course, there are two female assailants and one lead male assailant which also reminded me strongly of the Tate LaBianca murders. Anyway, new recycles old.

I loved Night Flier too. I always thought King could have worked it into a series of some kind. I'm not sure if "Popsy" from Nightmares & Dreamscapes is the same vampire as the Night Flier but it'd be kind of cool if he was.

By the way, for a decent Bigfoot documentary to accompany any Boggy Creek viewing, try Bigfoot Lives!

More recently I watched The Strangers and was immediately reminded of the baghead in The Town that Dreaded Sundown.

Yes, the same with me. And of course Jason in the second Friday the 13th movie (which was made several years after The Town that Dreaded Sundown) is also a bit reminiscent of the killer in that. And if I’m not mistaken, I believe that “The Strangers” was partially inspired by the Tate/LaBianca murders. New recycles old, indeed!

Originally Posted By: Fnord

I loved Night Flier too. I always thought King could have worked it into a series of some kind. I'm not sure if "Popsy" from Nightmares & Dreamscapes is the same vampire as the Night Flier but it'd be kind of cool if he was.

As a matter of fact, I thought that I had read somewhere that King once suggested that "Popsy" may have been the same vampire from The Night Flier; so that may very well be the case. On a side note, something about the story "Popsy", struck me as being very Satanic.

Thank you for the recommendation about the Bigfoot documentary. When I was in high school I was very heavy into the topic of cryptozoology and still have quite an extensive library on the subject, but in more recent years I haven’t kept up with it.

Talking about horror movies... i don't know whether you too like it or not... i'd like to mention Prince of Darkness and John Carpenter's In the Mouth of the Madness. These two movies really give me the creeps.

_________________________
Superstition is the religion of feeble minds.- Edmund Burke

i'd like to mention Prince of Darkness and John Carpenter's In the Mouth of the Madness. These two movies really give me the creeps.

Those two films, along with “The Thing”, make up John Carpenter’s “Apocalypse Trilogy”.

"In the Mouth of Madness" is definitely one of my most favorite movies of any genre and its opening and closing scenes actually served as a major inspiration for some of the more dominant themes and imagery on my site.

I would argue that its actually one of the best Lovecraft films ever made, even though it's more of a homage to, and not a direct adaptation of his work.

Is there anyone even remotely comparable to Brad Dourif. Does he just mainline pure adrenaline and intensity. I mean, geez, he just leaks brimstone in that scene. He is awesome in every sense of the word.

So, I revisited Black Christmas this morning thanks to you and, wow. I had totally forgotten how horrible that voice was! It helps when you watch it all by yourself in the dead hours of predawn. Every little creak and sigh the house made totally freaked me out, I saw Things in the shadows, my cat was purposely trying to scare me and before I had to sprint to my car (and struggle with the door after dropping my keys five times and not seeing the ax murderer in my back seat) I had managed to work myself into a proper bundle of goosebumply nerves.

Loved. It.

House of the Devil is on the queue for this evening (Netflix Instant baby), can't wait! Thank you!

And, thank you.

_________________________"What happens in the shadow, in the grey regions, also interests us – all that is elusive and fugitive, all that can be said in those beautiful half tones, or in whispers, in deep shade." ~ The Brothers Quay

I know exactly what you mean about Boggy Creek and context. I've got a few movies just like that on my list. I tend to be shy about recommending my underdogs because I'm never sure if it's just the movie that was so memorable or some other unrelated component that acted as a catalyst of sorts.

I'm kind of easygoing about my horror movies though and have a great big huge mushy soft spot for Bees in particular. If anything I guess I'm too under-critical, meaning I usually have fun but sometimes miss some real serious flaws. I really do go in wanting to enjoy myself. And I have a spooky-easy time morphing back into my 9 year old self, conjuring memories of hiding behind the couch stealth ninja-like, sneaking peeks at my very first horror movie (Charlie McGee: best role model for young girl? The jury is still out.)

Interesting to think of what scared us as kids and how that has or hasn't changed.

Dreaded Sundown sounds awfully familiar but I can't be sure if I've seen it or not. So I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and watch yet another horror movie. Oh will the torture never end.

_________________________"What happens in the shadow, in the grey regions, also interests us – all that is elusive and fugitive, all that can be said in those beautiful half tones, or in whispers, in deep shade." ~ The Brothers Quay

I must admit that, on the whole, horror isn't what it used to be to me. For example, when the David Lynch movie Blue Velvet was first released in 1986 I was absolutely terrified of the character "Frank" (played by Dennis Hopper) -- whereas nowadays I find him outrgeously funny (and quite pathetic).

But that doesn't mean that I can't appreciate a good movie! Case in point, I received today from Amazon.com a box set of the complete series of Hammer House Of Horrors (the TV series) from back in the 80s -- and I'm now happily looking forwards to perusing it over, well god-only-knows how long. The 4 discs contain a total of 11 hours of material. I predict some bizarre essays flowing from these hands in the near future...

Planet of the Vampires - You may have noticed I'm a Mario Bava fan by now. This one is more interesting for the setting(s) and cultural references than it is for the story (which isn't bad). I love the lighting in Bava's films and his ability to weave setting into his scenes as a character in and of itself. It's difficult to mistake his work for anyone elses. You'll see what was to become the future of horror in this one. Ridley Scott must have been a fan too as he lifted a fairly notable scene for his movie Alien. By the by, no vampires in this film. The Italian title is "Terrore Nello Spazio" (Terror in Space)... no idea why that got translated into Vampires.

Below - I have a natural aversion to deep water as it is. Add a ghost story and bucket fulls of claustrophobic tension and you're almost there. Excellent "thinking person's" horror film.

Masters of Horror - Jenifer - Dario Argento's one hour film for the Masters of Horror collection. This one is just sick, twisted and wrong on so many levels... which is why you'll probably like it as I did.

My personal favorite has always been The Shining. I know Stephen King didn't like it because it drifted a little bit from his novel, but this is one of if not my favorite movies of all time. It never gets old.

I've seen Cropsey and really liked it! I wrote about this one on my blog. Intriguing story, striking imagery and that bit from Geraldo Rivera... oof. The quasi-summation thing at the end about urban legends was pretty sharp observation.

I like documentaries in general though and I don't think they are too far off the original topic here. The non-fiction aspect, (or the "based on a true story" tag) heightens any horror. It's scary to think that Something Awful could really happen, to empathize. To suddenly realize this is no dream, this is really happening. For me, the horror movies with the most resonance, the most endurance, tap into that.

In that vein, I'd like to recommend a recent favorite, Lake Mungo. Australian documentary-style ghost story. I'm not typically moved by this subject. Well, that's not true. I think it's just been a little soured for me by the reality TV onslaught of "paranormal" nonsense. But this one got to me. It was very slow. It was very subtle. It was so obvious what was happening. Until it wasn't. Easily the most unnerving thing I've watched in a very long time, haunting in a lot of different ways. More about the living than the dead but I think, at their core, ghost stories usually are.

Originally Posted By: Fnord

(I have tons more).

You are very dangerous man, Texas.

P.S. House Of The Devil was AWESOME! Like top-ten-awesome. Like "turn around and watch it again immediately" awesome. Awesome, awesome, awesome.

Edited by Shade (01/30/1105:37 AM)Edit Reason: How could I forget?

_________________________"What happens in the shadow, in the grey regions, also interests us – all that is elusive and fugitive, all that can be said in those beautiful half tones, or in whispers, in deep shade." ~ The Brothers Quay

I read a magazine from the UK called Bizarre and they have movie reviews in the back pages. For a while they were touting Australian horror and a lot of movies from Asia, in particular they also mentioned a film about the Nanking massacre. Anyone seen that? I'm curious to know if it is as vile as it is reported to be.

_________________________For my sins I will ask no forgiveness. For my sins they are not to forgive.

When i was about 7 or 8 years old, I made the mistake of telling my dad i wanted to watch scary movies. Well, he let me watch something that was on tv called "Night of the Creeps," i think it was called. Just a few random stories in the movie, I dont recall every bit of it, as I wound up leaving the room shortly thereafter.

There was one scene where this woman was looking for her cat, and then it walked in the house, and she was so happy to have found it again...UNTIL the cat turned its head and half its flesh was eaten away, looked kind of like a zombie cat.

That part terrified me, as well as the opening scene where this young couple was making out in the woods, in a convertable, and these alien looking guys come up and chop their heads off. It wasn't just one clean swipe and you're done, it was brutal hacking and blood, and breaking through the spinal cord. Even back in the 80's with the horrible visual effects, it was scary for a 7 year old!

Ever since then, I've had a hard time with scary movies. Since I have SUCH an active imagination, pretty much everything scared the hell out of me.

I was 15 when i saw "Scream" in the theaters, and as much as I WANTED to like it, I literally was afraid to answer the phone for months.

Since then, though, I've mostly grown out of that, trying to watch some "horror" movies here and there, but it seems as if all the ones that come out now are, well, pretty much crap.

I will so, though, that "House of 1000 Corpses", is one of my favorites. I had a hard time sleeping for a week, but I loved it so very much.

_________________________
Now its time to crown yourself the queen of You.

When I was a very little child, one night I got out of the bed and went to a living room. I accidentally saw one scene from a horror movie on our old black and white TV. A vampire was going to bite its victim's neck and it scared the life out of me. For some years, I have been falling asleep covered up to ears, just in case that someone sharp-toothed could want to bite me. Later, I managed to tame and befriend my nightmares and even made it to kind of erotic dreams before those children of the night almost disappeared from my dreamy repertoire.

But, that was the scariest horror 'movie' for me.

Unknown, just seconds lasting scene seen through the child's eyes, until parents 'arrived' to rescue me.

Nowadays, I am not a fan of modern horror movies. I genuinely liked one, the Event Horizon and it was quite scary (read invoking feelings of discomfort), in my opinion. Of course, it depends on what one expects behind such term...

I like horror classic though. Where the blood is not so important, but the psychology of characters... (The Masque of the Red Death is a pleasing example, but hardly can be classified as 'scariest'.)

Perhaps some may find it rather funny, but you know Joey? The little boy whose father dies and he speaks with a little red phone with him? Of course there is a youth film, saw him for the first time with 8 years, but little Joey is threatened by a ventriloquist's dummy. The thing is so vicious. I do not know why but for her I can not stand those dolls. They make me goose bumps and remains so today. However, I have a paranoia of clowns. I must see her and I only get my hands wet Swiss revolves around the stomach.

First, let me say that the man was certainly born with the right surname. He is definitely the KING of the macabre. (Well, right there with Dean Koontz.)

I loved the book THE SHINING. But was sorely disappointed with the movie. I mean, Shelly Duvall? The only role she was right for, in my opinion, was as Olive Oyle in POPEYE. The cartoon Olive seems to be a blueprint for Ms. Duvall.

Any way. Back on subject.

My favorite films are the Classic Horror films, with such stars as Vincent Price, Bella Lugosi, Boris Karloff, etc, etc, etc. The ONLY redeeming quality of "modern" horror is the special effects. From the "Hellraiser" seriies, to "30 Days of Night' to "Saw" series. I love good effects. And, though I like the old classics, the effects (when present, and though at the time, top of the line) were a bit, what (?) cheesy?

I, too, watch some of the classics on NetFlix. I love the service. I can watch what I want, when I want, without the clutter of more DVDs to store.

_________________________
"Churches may close and old shepherds may die, but the herd will always be the herd." Reverend Bill

I remember when I was a child being very freaked out by the film Picnic on Hanging Rock. It was based on a true story about some school girls in Australia who went missing on a school trip. To this day no one really knows what happened to them. It's definitely the 'fear of the unknown' that gets me more than the blood and guts. The mystery. Another one was The Blair Witch project. I was still very young when I saw that. Too young to really know that it wasn't real.I think I was still in primary school. I remember when they first promoted the film they promoted it at being real footage and a great deal of people fell for it. Including me! It really affected me but the interesting thing was there's nothing horrible visually in the film. It's all left up to the imagination and that's definitely what makes it so creepy I think.

Some already mentioned, classic psych horrors like Jacob's Ladder or The Shining. The thing that always got me about the Shining was the brilliant way they handled an unearthly presence. Most ghost films settle for this idiotic waving the camera around in the actors faces sort of shot, the Shining did the exact opposite, by having a simple angle directly from the back of the characters head, following a few inches behind them. Gave the wonderfully freaky feeling that something was watching their every move from right behind them.

Paragon Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Miike is brilliant, people have recommended 'Audition' already, and his short 'Imprint' was genuinely gruesome. Some awesome visuals and cringe-worthy torture scenes.

I'm a fan of John Carpenter's Classic 'Prince of Darkness'. Scared the hell out of me as a child, but nowadays is more comical than really frightening. Still a good watch.

This is certainly a topic near and dear to my heart! One of the most profoundly disturbing movies of my childhood was 'Event Horizon' with its quality effects and morally ambiguous story-line. I'm infatuated with the 'Hellraiser' series, even the ones that became no more than schleppy straight-to-DVD releases, and I eagerly anticipate the release of the ninth film in the series, 'Hellraiser: Revelations.' "Angels to some; demons to others" was a line that really aided in my questioning of traditional morality--displaying the truly powerful nature of art.

I thoroughly enjoyed Event Horizon! Great film. I always enjoyed Sam Niel, after seeing him in the 'Omen' films which I loved as a young 'un.

Event Horizon is also a huge inspiration for so many things. Of course watching it today, it's not a frightening film, but what it does have is one of the best senses of impending dread in any film. The first twenty minutes are brilliant. But now it's being ripped off all the time. A handful of videogames have copied it directly, as well as few lesser budget horror films. Such is the flaw of a fun film, I suppose, it will always be copied.

How did Lovecraft do it? He not only created an entire sub-genre of literature, but an entire sub-culture decades after his death. Thousands of people have heard of the Necronomicon, are familiar with Cthulhu, even when they've never heard of Lovecraft himself. What a guy.

I'm a big fan of horror movies. I love the thrill I get from watching them. I guess I have a fetish for scaring myself to death. I'm getting the same effect from playing the survival horror game Dead Space 2.

I'm a bit desensitized when it comes to gore, unless it is particularly moving, as in the case of Hellraiser I (Actually the entire series) or Martyrs(A French horror movie).

Ironically, though, I can be a bit of a jumper. Within the last few days i've seen a few Japanese horror movies. Three Extremes 2 and Nightmare Detective. In the first few minutes of Three Extremes 2 a doll comes to life. It's one of those things you know is going to happen and yet still are not prepared for.

Sidenote: The music from the Exorcist 2: The Heretic freaks me out. It's the only score to ever make me feel this way. Besides "Regan's Theme"(Which is beautiful), I think it could actually drive me nuts.

The only recollection I have from my youth is of watching the Exorcist. I must have been around eight at the time. I don't know why I was allowed to watch that, lol. The scene with Blair's character spitting into the eye of the Father or priest forever played in mind afterwards. I refused to see it again until a few years ago. I was still a little freaked out but it was more of an interesting sort of freaked out this time.

Scream is another gem from my youth.

Some others:Drag Me to HellSawCarrieTenebraeBlood and Black Lace

...There are many others. I just can't think of them.

I saw someone else mention classic horror. I guess that is also a love of mine rather than the blatant horror examples. Hammer Horror made a lot of good ones. From the Karnstein trilogy, especially Vampire Lovers, and also Daughters of Darkness, Vampire Circus, etc etc.

One I'd forgotten about for a while, that just came to me is 'Kolobos'. A low budget independant slasher flick, came out around the scream era. That was a good, dirty sort of gorefest. Had a big brother setting, where people in a house, actors and artists, are knocked off by a self-mutilating nutjob named faceless. Entertaining stuff and some of the imagery was sufficient to deeply freak out my high school friends at the time.

A film with a similar feeling, but more high budget american fare, that came out soon after was 'My Little Eye'. That had a more standard twist in the tail killer feel to it, but had a lot more modern dialogue, gritty sex and such. I suppose I like voyeuristic feel to these films.

The best voyeur horror film ever made, in my opinion, is fairly recent. 'Alone With Her'. Simple low budget film, again, but deeply creepy and above all very realistic. Stalker had cameras in ever room of a girl's house, following her footsteps and integrating himself into her life bit by bit. Creepy stuff.

There is no film I can think of that I find scary. I guess that's the result of being desensitized at a young age by films like 'The Omen' and 'The Exorsist'.

There are a few films that spring to mind that aren't scary, but definitely touch a nerve with their content eg. 'A Serbian Film' and 'Dumplings'. Both of those are definitely not for the feint of heart. (Especially the uncut version of A Serbian Film, I would divulge, but I am not one for spoilers...)

I'm kind of easygoing about my horror movies though and have a great big huge mushy soft spot for Bees in particular.

Since you've brought up Bees... please tell me you've seen Roger Corman's Wasp Woman. If not, it's on instant.. so get busy.. like a ...

Also noteworthy watches (Netflix Instant) since we've last spoken:

Moon: Atmospheric to nth degree. This one had me crawling out of my skin just for the sheer creepiness. It's really a Sci-Fi flick, but I think you'll get where I'm coming from. Not standard 'horror' (whatever that is) fare.

And

Feast of Death (Documentary):Well, honestly I've seen this one a few times but I don't think I've mentioned it. It's not horror, per se, but it speaks to things horrific. It's essentially the tale of how James Ellroy (LA Confidential etc) links (in his mind) the murder of the Black Dahlia to the murder of his mother a decade later. He becomes obsessed with murdered women and conducts an investigation of his own into his mother's death. Also, there's a part where he brings in Larry Harnisch to talk about his solution to the Dahlia case. I think you'll dig it if you haven't seen it.

Anyway, I like old horror movies better than the newer ones. I see that new ones just don't have the spunk that say old Dracula or Frankenstein has. Although, japanese have made good movies recently - special effects are golden, all that gore Got to love it.

_________________________
"It's not what we were or what we will be, it is what we are now that makes all the difference and the potential we have at this moment to become even greater."

Hi! Oh, I lit up like a Christmas tree when I saw your post. I was hoping you'd be back.

I will see you Wasp Woman and raise you Invasion of the Bee Girls. (also on Instant)

Moon was exceptional, definitely had the atmospheric mojo we've spoken about in this thread. I was floored by Sam Rockwell, not seeing him in his usual wise-crackin', jive-dancin', boogie woogie cornball comedy role was weird. I was not expecting something so poignant. This is definite repeat-viewing, so many details.* Lots of goosebumps, I'd hazard a guess that the Clint Mansell soundtrack helped immensely, but mainly I was struck by the sadness. And the fact that it struck me so hard. I mourned #5. I don't think I've ever wanted more for a movie to end differently.

Re: Feast of Death.

You. Are. C-R-E-E-P-Y. Like, "is he reading my mind or is this a coincidence" kind of creepy. I've had this on my queue for a bazillion years but it always got bumped.

Anyway, neglecting other morning usuals, I've watched it once now but will have to watch it again. I LOVE the round-table dining car setting. I LOVE being a fly on the wall for that. Um, James Ellroy is. Wow. Not sure if there is a word. He has a very disconcerting delivery. I'm not super big fan of crime fiction but I've enjoyed his work, I gravitate toward noir-y things**, and will now be getting "My Dark Places"... which, again, has been flitting around my periphery for a dog year (keep seeing it at used book stores). Anyway, this was a great recommendation! One of my favorite parts, Ellroy answering question about libel:

Quote:

Many people have asked, "jesus, you really rag the shit out of the Kennedys, how come they don't sue you?" Here is my answer: If the Kennedys protested everything that was written about them, they'd be in court all day, every day and they'd have no time to get drunk and rape women.

-------------

* GERTY reminded me so much of my old Macintosh. I swear that thing had a mind of its own. When it started to meep out the chimes of death, the boot-up icon thingie changed. Happy Mac wasn't happy anymore.

_________________________"What happens in the shadow, in the grey regions, also interests us – all that is elusive and fugitive, all that can be said in those beautiful half tones, or in whispers, in deep shade." ~ The Brothers Quay